Step 1

Let's take the longer way of adding 3 and ²/₅. By doing so, it will help us to understand adding fractions better. Since 3 is a whole number, we can change it into a fraction as shown:

Step 2

We now have:

Step 3

Now, since these fractions have unlike denominators, we can make the denominators the same by using Equivalent Fractions.

We can do so by multiplying the numerator and denominator of ³/₁ with 5 as shown below:

Step 4

With the denominators the same, we can now add these fractions together:

Step 5

Notice that ¹⁷/₅ is an improper fraction? Rather than leaving the answer like this, it is better to change it into a mixed fraction.

Step 6

So, we have the answer as 3 ²/₅.

Now, with some observations, realize that we can quickly get the answer by just combining the whole number and the fraction together. This is shown below:

Clearly, the answer is C.

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